16th September 2011

9:13 PM — A government consultation on the process for allowing gay couples to marry will take place next March, PinkNews.co.uk understands that prime minister David Cameron is "emphatically" in favour of the change.

7th September 2011

1:26 PM — A short video clip about a boy and his two mothers shows the consequences of 'discriminatory' civil partnerships in Ireland. Made by Marriage Equality Ireland, the clip, titled 'Rory's Story', shows the family as happy and accepted until the day the law classes them as strangers.

2nd September 2011

10:57 AM — Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove, has called for churches to be banned from holding marriages if they refuse to perform civil partnerships for gay couples. He says that the idea will bring more equality for gay couples.

1st September 2011

3:14 PM — A lesbian from Coventry has set up a funeral service specialising in ceremonies for gays and lesbians. Angela Sanderson, 47, said she decided to set up the service after her sister's funeral did not reflect the person she was.

12th August 2011

10:34 AM — A large majority of Scottish people now support marriage equality. According to the 2010 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, published yesterday, 61 per cent of people believe gays and lesbians should have the right to marry.

7th July 2011

10:38 AM — For the first time, more women than men are having civil partnerships in the UK. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics, 49 per cent of last year's ceremonies were held by men. In 2009, men held 51 per cent of all civil partnerships.

2nd June 2011

5:14 PM — The first same-sex Jewish partnership ceremony officially to be termed a marriage by Liberal Judaism - a major British progressive strand of the religion - took place in Manchester last weekend.

20th May 2011

3:04 PM — The hymn Jerusalem risks becoming "reserved for homosexual couples", a gay MP has claimed. Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for Rhondda, claimed that church policy means straight couples are increasingly being banned from using William Blake's famous hymn at their weddings because clergy deem it is "not addressed to God".

20th April 2011

2:28 PM — Another American poll suggests that just over half of voters support marriage equality. The CNN poll found that 51 per cent of the 824 adults surveyed said gay couples should be allowed to wed.

27th February 2011

3:17 PM — The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has told a private meeting of influential MPs that he is not prepared to allow Church of England buildings to host religious civil partnerships.

20th February 2011

1:55 AM — The first civil partnerships in Ireland have already taken place, more than a month earlier than the planned introduction of the ceremonies. It is understood that at least one member of both couples involved are suffering from serious illnesses with a risk of that one may die before the three month notice period for a civil partnership would elapse.

17th February 2011

12:56 AM — Politicians in the state of Hawaii have passed bill legalising civil unions for same-sex couples late last night, with the Senate voting 18-5 in favour. The bill has been passed to Democratic Governor Neil Abercrombie to sign into law, he has already signaled that he supports the measure.

4th February 2011

4:54 PM — Elton John says he wants unlikely friend Rush Limbaugh to say he supports civil partnerships for gay couples. The singer sang at the controversial radio host's wedding last year and was reportedly paid $1 million for the gig.

2nd February 2011

4:52 PM — Lord Mackay of Clashfern has argued that Christians must be free to act on their consciences when it comes to gay rights. The former Lord Chancellor under Margaret Thatcher and John Mayor said insisting that Christians abide by equality laws - such as in the case of hotel owners - was "Orwellian".

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